Business Insider reports that Twitter announced Oct. 26 that it was banning advertisements from the Russian news agencies RT and Sputnik. "This decision was based on the retrospective work we've been doing around the 2016 U.S. election and the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that both RT and Sputnik attempted to interfere with the election on behalf of the Russian government," the company wrote on a blog post. RT, or Russia Today, responded by publishing what it called the “full,” “multi-million dollar advertising proposal” from Twitter ahead of the election last year. RT says it turned down that pitch. In September, Twitter said RT spent $274,100 on 1,823 promoted tweets that targeted the U.S. in 2016. Twitter said it would take the estimated $1.9 million that RT paid for advertising since 2011 and use it to, “support external research into the use of Twitter in civic engagement and elections, including use of malicious automation and misinformation, with an initial focus on elections and automation.” In related news, on Oct. 28, Twitter permanently banned longtime Donald Trump adviser and self-proclaimed political “agent provocateur” Roger Stone after a series of messages threatening CNN journalists the night before. Now Stone, who has been banned temporarily before for other insensitive remarks, told Politico, that he had spoken with “prominent telecommunication attorneys” and that “the battle against free speech has just begun.” Twitter has not banned others who have made malicious remarks on the social media service, including the president of the United States.

Lynda J. Edwards is reporting in the Times Union residents statewide are being urged to take precautions in light of an advancing storm. That storm is likely to bring up to five inches of rain in some areas along with wind gusts, causing flooding and power outages. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed the state Emergency Operations and Watch Centers to move to Enhanced Monitoring Mode, and officials prepared for possible flooding impacts by clearing culverts and debris, Saturday. A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for all of eastern New York Sun., Oct. 29, through early Mon., Oct. 30. A High Wind Watch is in effect all day Monday for western Greene County, the greater Capital Region and the Helderbergs. The National Weather Service in Albany is predicting as of Sunday afternoon there may be wind gusts up to 30 mph. The winds will increase Monday, with gusts up to 60 mph, but temperatures will remain in the 50s. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Here's the week in the news for Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook), the District 19 Congressperson for the WGXC listening area. Faso returned to Washington D.C. this week where Fivethirtyeight.com currently reports Faso votes with Donald Trump's positions 88 percent of his votes. Click here to download or play an audio version of this report (8:38).

• Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York Senator Chuck Schumer spoke on Oct. 23 in Albany County against the current tax proposal in Washington that would eliminate state and local tax deductions. In Albany County, they said, the proposal would, raise taxes on one in three taxpayers by an average of $3,438. Cuomo and Schumer will tour the state's congressional districts to urge representatives to vote against the bill. Locally, Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) signed on to a letter in June with many other Republican representatives opposing this part of the larger tax proposal being discussed in Congress. Cuomo said, "Now they put a proposed compromise on the table, on the theory that New Yorkers are stupid. We are not stupid. This is like the old three-card Monte trick on the corner. What they now say is, 'well we will only raise taxes on the wealthier New Yorkers.' They'll have an income cutoff. 'And we'll only eliminate the deductibility above that income.' Yeah. And what happens when those people who see their taxes skyrocket? Say, 'you know what, I'm going to move out of the county. You know what, I'm going to move out of the state. It's too much.' That tax burden falls on everybody else."

• Zachary Warmbrodt reports for Politico that the Senate voted late Oct. 24 to end a rule that allowed Americans to file class-action suits against banks instead of being forced in many cases into private arbitration. New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand voted against the measure, which tied 50-50, with Vice President Mike Pence casting the deciding voted. On July 25, Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) voted in favor of the measure. The bill weakens the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. President Trump is expected to sign the bill. Read the full story in Politico.

• On Oct. 25, Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) voted for H.R. 732, the “Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2017.” The bill would prohibit federal agencies from entering into or enforcing any settlement agreements that involve payments other than to the federal government, direct restitution to victims, or to remedy harms directly and proximately caused by the defendant. Vanita Gupta, the President and CEO at CivilRights.org, said the bill, "was motivated largely by two settlements between the Department of Justice and a few of the nation’s largest banks stemming from conduct that led to the 2008 financial crisis, settlements that included contributions to HUD-approved housing counseling agencies and legal aid organizations." Gupta is unclear about why the bill is needed, and wrote, "it appears to us that the sponsors of H.R. 732 are more troubled with who the banks chose to support than with any broader legal or policy principle." Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia) claims President Barack Obama's Justice Department prevented settlement payouts from going to conservative-leaning organizations.

• Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) voted against the Republican tax cut framework Oct. 26 that passed narrowly. Faso voted against the plan with several other New York Republicans who have voiced disapproval for the proposal to eliminate deductions for state and local taxes. That would mean a large tax increase for New Yorkers. The proposal would also create large tax cuts for the very rich. The vote, which needed 215 votes and got 216, means the tax cut proposal only needs 51 votes in the Senate, rather than 60, making it much easier to pass. The only New York Republicans to vote in favor of the budget resolution were Reps. Chris Collins of western New York and Tom Reed of the Southern Tier. No Democrats voted for the bill.

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Jimmy Vielkind reports for Politico that the vote Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) cast Oct. 26 against the Republican tax cut framework may not have been such an independent stand against his own party. From Politico: "Several New York Democrats questioned the opposition of Faso, [Elise] Stefanik, [Claudia] Tenney, and [John] Katko. Rep. Greg Meeks (D-Queens) said he saw the four huddling in the back of the House floor, waiting to cast their negative votes until the resolution’s passage was secured. 'They had to talk to one another to decide that they would have voted yes if their vote was needed, so they’re not serious about protecting the hard-working men and women of New York State,' Meeks said on a conference call with reporters. 'They were missing in action, actually, at the tie of critical mass and just came aboard once they knew they didn’t have to because the Republicans had votes elsewhere. That’s a political game. That’s not standing up for New York.'" According to the report, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-Manhattan) also saw the four huddling in the rear of the chamber, and came to the same conclusion as Meeks. On an interview on the Fox Business Channel hours after the vote, Faso said, "the entire reason" he voted against the framework budget was because of the bill's elimination of the deduction for state and local taxes. PLAY EXCERPT OF INTERVIEW Read the full story in Politico.

Here are some stories from the Hudson River this week. Click here to hear an audio version of this report. (4:01)

• The Stevens Institute reports temperatures this week in the Hudson River at Schodack Island have been between 59 and 63 degrees.

• Brian Nearing is reporting in the Times Union a new state law gives the state Department of Environmental Conservation additional powers to weigh the potential environmental and waterfront impacts of transporting petroleum on state waterways like the Hudson River. The law also gives the DEC the ability to ban tanker storage from certain areas. The law, signed by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo Oct. 24, drew support from the environmental groups and elected officials who opposed a plan to store up to 43 barges at anchor along 70 miles of the Hudson between Kingston and Yonkers. Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan praised the new law and called on the DEC to its part by issuing regulations to protect the river. Under the new law, the DEC could create anti-tanker zones based on various factors including navigational hazards; environmental conditions;  presence of aquatic and wildlife habitats; proximity to waterfront communities; and, federally or state identified environmental remediation sites. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Glenn Blain reports in The New York Daily News that the plan for a $250 million park in the Hudson River from billionaire Barry Diller is back on, after help from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “I have spoken to the parties involved in the lawsuit against Pier 55 and expressed my belief that cooperative efforts to complete the overall park are more constructive than litigation and stalemate,” Cuomo said in a statement Oct. 25. Diller said he would “make one last attempt” to construct the 2.7 acre floating park off Manhattan.

Thomas C. Zambito reports for LoHud.com that the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater environmental group is getting a $15,000 grant to teach children about science and policy from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Clearwater's Estuary Education Initiative teaches a science-based curriculum for school-age children about the links between scientific research and environmental policy. "As grassroots educators and storytellers we are in a unique position to tell the story of how partners, including Rockefeller Brothers Fund, have worked together to create a sustainable Hudson Valley," said Wren Longno, Clearwater's director of development.

Julie Hirschfeld Davis reports in The New York Times that on Oct. 25 President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a limited 90-day public health emergency rather than a national emergency. It is a key difference, as declaring a national emergency would have freed millions of dollars in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to address the problem. Trump's designation allows money from the Public Health Emergency Fund to be used, but that fund only contains $57,000. The next day, Oct. 26, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the availability of up to $10 million in capital funding to develop and support up to 75 new, community-based medically supervised withdrawal and stabilization beds throughout the state. "These expanded detox services will help put more people dealing with opioid addiction onto the road to recovery while helping to create a stronger, healthier New York for all," Cuomo said.

Diane Valden reports in The Columbia Paper that Andrew Fisher and Richard Wolf are attemping to take over seats from incumbents Jeanne Mettler and Terry Sullivan on the Copake Town Board Nov. 7. Fisher is on the Republican and Conservative ballot lines; Sullivan is running on the Republican, Independence, and Conservative lines; Mettler is running as a Democrat and on the Working Families Party ballot; and Wolf is running as a Democrat. And Glenn Schermerhorn is trying to hold his seat on the Town Court bench against a challenge from Copake Zoning Board of Appeals member Jeffrey Judd. There are full profiles of each candidate in The Columbia Paper.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says the New York State Police and local law enforcement officers will increase patrols this Halloween weekend, looking for impaired drivers and underage drinkers. From Friday, October 27 through Wednesday, November 1, 2017 the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee is funding the crackdown. There may be sobriety checkpoints and additional DWI patrols in the area. "I urge all New Yorkers to stay safe, make responsible decisions and not get behind the wheel when under the influence," Cuomo said.

Local weather forecast:
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Then showers may begin around 2 a.m., and it could be heavy at times, with a low around 52.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS:
SUNDAY: Two or three inches of rain are possible Sunday, with a high near 60, and a low around 42.
MONDAY: Showers are likely, mainly before noon. Then skies turn partly sunny, with a high near 51, and a low around 39.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news update for Fri., Oct. 27 (6:16). (Produced by Alanna Medlock.)